At the moment the alarm sounded, we moved almost simultaneously.
But my agility stat was 72.
The speed at which I took a step was faster than his.
“…!”
With just one step, the outcome of the exchange was determined.
I stepped into Kang Han-byul’s territory and swung my sword at him.
His eyes widened.
As he pivoted on his feet, he quickly gathered strength into his waist.
The sword he had pulled behind his shoulder shot forward.
──!!
The swords collided.
Our strength was equal.
But our speed was not.
The speed of the Blue Sword made it incredibly easy to deflect Kang Han-byul’s blade.
──!!
I immediately continued my offensive.
I couldn’t let this momentum slip away.
The Blue Sword, shimmering with its azure light, drew continuous arcs in the air in front of me.
Kang Han-byul was constantly blocking my sword, unable to find any opening.
‘What will you do now?’
Whenever I took a step back, he did the same. The stalemate continued, barely holding on.
But the situation between me and Kang Han-byul was not equal.
I was effortlessly defending, while he was slowly being pushed back.
If I applied a little more pressure, it wouldn’t be difficult to corner him.
If he couldn’t change the flow, there would be no victory for him.
He must be feeling it too.
“Haah.”
To change this flow, he needed to become more aggressive.
Holding his breath, Kang Han-byul swung his sword with all his might, then immediately stepped back, putting distance between us.
Mana began to swirl around him.
A blue mist writhed with his breath, spiraling around him.
His sword began to shine.
Here it comes.
Kang Han-byul, with his sword now glowing, rushed toward me.
The distance closed quickly.
The light emitted a fierce sound, and the air around him began to gather.
Moonlight.
The sword stroke was simple.
A diagonal strike coming from below.
But the force released when the sword reached the sky was undeniable.
──!!
A whirlwind of light, shaped like a trail, surged toward me with the force of a strong gust of wind.
A wide-area attack that strikes multiple monsters, a sword technique.
The choice was whether to block it or dodge it.
I chose the former.
It wasn’t impossible to block.
Gripping the Blue Sword with both hands, I split the mass of light in two.
I passed through the particles of light and rushed toward Kang Han-byul.
That was when my Gift activated.
“…!”
The previous attack was a distraction.
By the time I realized it, Kang Han-byul was no longer in front of me but had appeared beside me.
He swung his sword downward toward my head.
I quickly adjusted my stance to block the descending attack.
──!!
The flow of the battle had shifted.
Kang Han-byul knew how to read the flow.
Not wanting to let go of the opportunity, he pressed on with his attacks.
‘Impressive.’
But I wasn’t about to let this happen.
Just as Kang Han-byul showed his Two-Devil techniques, it was now my turn.
I inhaled deeply and held my ground.
I activated my mana circuits.
I put strength into my legs to support my body.
Lion’s Dance
I took back the momentum.
A blue current of electricity crackled from my body.
I wasn’t concerned about the outcome of the duel.
I knew Do Gyeon-woo’s skills well.
I had been watching him closely all this time, so there was no doubt in my mind.
He was someone who wouldn’t be easily beaten, even by adults. It was hard to imagine him losing to someone his age.
Even if the opponent was a disciple of Two-Devil, they wouldn’t be his match.
With that level of confidence, Yeon-ha-neul believed in his victory without a doubt.
And indeed, the duel was progressing as she had expected.
“Wow, they’re both amazing fighters.”
“Not only Gyeon-woo, but you can really see the skills of a disciple of Two-Devil.”
The fight was a continuous back-and-forth.
Whenever Kang Han-byul took a step back, he quickly rushed forward again.
In other words, whenever Do Gyeon-woo advanced, Kang Han-byul retreated.
For Go Eun-bi and Lisa, who didn’t understand swordsmanship deeply, it might have seemed like they were both trying to create distance.
“Looks like you’re in control of the fight.”
But for Yeon-ha-neul, who had learned basic swordsmanship, and Yong Hae-rang, who could gauge an opponent’s skills, it was different.
In reality, they weren’t creating distance. Do Gyeon-woo was the one leading the flow of the battle.
Kang Han-byul was simply struggling to break free from the current.
Still…
‘Gyeon-woo is certainly impressive.’
Kang Han-byul’s skills were substantial.
He was holding his ground, trying desperately to avoid being overwhelmed.
They had exchanged dozens of blows, and the momentum was steadily being maintained.
“…”
Even if the triplets came at him all together, it wouldn’t be an easy task for them.
They, too, seemed to sense something and kept their eyes on the duel without blinking.
The moment the flow of the battle shifted was just around the corner.
‘The tide has turned.’
Though Do Gyeon-woo had deliberately given Kang Han-byul the chance, it was Kang Han-byul’s skill that took advantage of it.
Having seized the initiative, he pressed Do Gyeon-woo hard.
Still, Yeon-ha-neul calmly watched the duel unfold.
Until her eyes met Min Ah-rin’s.
“Gyeon-woo! You can do it!”
“…”
Min Ah-rin, who had been quietly leaning against the wall, suddenly smiled broadly and called out loudly toward Do Gyeon-woo.
“Gyeon-woo! If you win, I’ll buy you lunch! Go, Gyeon-woo! Push him hard!”
“…”
“Well done! Keep it up, Gyeon-woo!”
“…”
Min Ah-rin, glancing at Yeon-ha-neul’s reaction, continued to cheer, jumping and making loud, high-pitched noises.
Yeon-ha-neul’s face stiffened at her actions.
And Min Ah-rin seemed to enjoy every moment of it.
‘Ugh, I really hate her.’
It wasn’t something she could stand. She was irritated.
If Min Ah-rin weren’t Do Gyeon-woo’s friend, she might have taken a hammer to her.
She was frustrated because she couldn’t do anything about it.
Yeon-ha-neul, feeling the stress, shouted in her usual way to match Min Ah-rin’s energy.
“If you win, I’ll let you touch my tail! So make sure you win, Gyeon-woo!”
It wasn’t something she would normally say.
Go Eun-bi and Lisa were staring at her.
She was embarrassed. Embarrassed to the point of wanting to disappear.
Her face was red, and her eyes were welling up.
But she couldn’t let Min Ah-rin steal Do Gyeon-woo’s attention.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Even knowing Do Gyeon-woo was going to win, Yeon-ha-neul forced herself to make that offer.
Despite the attempts to create a turning point, unfortunately, Kang Han-byul’s expectations didn’t hold up against Do Gyeon-woo.
Do Gyeon-woo had seen through his distraction at the last moment and managed to avoid it.
And not only that, he had reversed the flow of the fight, seizing the momentum.
Crack!
Mana flowed from Do Gyeon-woo.
Blue mist swirled around him.
It crackled as if it were colliding with the air.
The particles of mana turned into electricity and surged forward.
‘…Incredible.’
This was the kind of thing that could only manifest when properly wielding the Su-Wang style swordsmanship, symbolized by the blue current—Wall Thunder.
It was thin, thick.
It was long, short.
Its thickness, length, and shape were all irregular, but the blue electrical threads squirmed as if they were alive.
Kang Han-byul, having heard about the Shin Sword Do from his master, Seong Jeong-jin, couldn’t help but admire what was happening before his eyes.
Crack!
It was beautiful.
Beyond the dazzling blue current, Do Gyeon-woo’s dark hair, his confident eyes, and the sharp lines of his face stood out clearly.
Covered in Thunder, Do Gyeon-woo looked like a different person.
It seemed like the momentum had shifted.
Just as Kang Han-byul realized this, he thought:
Lion’s Fierce Assault
“…!”
Do Gyeon-woo accelerated.
There was no warning.
It was as if the ground was pushing him away.
The moment he stepped off the ground, the distance between us shrank instantly.
The Thunder’s intensity surged.
The scattered electric currents around him merged into thick strands that followed his direction.
And then, a thunderstrike hit.
“Ugh!”
The sword that cut through with the Thunder was sharp and forceful.
Kang Han-byul hurriedly blocked the downward strike from Do Gyeon-woo’s sword.
The electric current he released stung his skin, and the strike was so heavy it forced him off the ground.
Crackle!
Kang Han-byul gritted his teeth and put strength into his legs.
Barely managing to resist the force, he was pushed back, skidding along the ground.
Do Gyeon-woo didn’t waste the opening.
Lion’s Iron Claw
Do Gyeon-woo appeared to jump to the right but quickly pivoted left and swung his sword horizontally.
Kang Han-byul had no time to think. As soon as he adopted his stance, he tried to deflect the attack.
In that moment, his eyes widened in shock as he saw Do Gyeon-woo’s sword appear to bend.
‘…Did it bend!?’
No, the sword didn’t bend.
It was the strike itself that curved like a whip.
If Kang Han-byul had tried to block it directly, it would have caught him off guard.
This was the bending strike of the Shin Sword Do, the third form of the attack technique—Lion’s Iron Claw.
Kang Han-byul had heard of it from Seong Jeong-jin before, but only now did he truly understand what it meant.
But by the time he realized it, it was too late.
There was no time for thinking or judgment.
──!!
He had to trust his instincts.
Kang Han-byul immediately stopped his movement to deflect the attack and quickly backed away.
But when he resisted the force of the strike, his balance wavered.
Displaying his extraordinary sense of balance, honed over years of training, he managed to keep himself steady.
As he fell towards the ground, he quickly placed his left hand on the floor to push off and launched himself into the air.
After performing a few somersaults, he landed safely, completing the acrobatic maneuver.
‘This is the swordsmanship of the Shin Sword Do. I’ve only heard about it from my master, but experiencing it firsthand… It’s truly unpredictable.’
He didn’t waste any time. Just as he had expected, Do Gyeon-woo remained where he was, waiting for him to regain his posture.
He was giving him a chance to recover.
The difference in their skills was clear.
While Kang Han-byul and Do Gyeon-woo’s power may have been similar, the latter had an edge in finesse, precision, and most importantly, speed with which he wielded his sword.
Had Do Gyeon-woo decided to defeat him earlier, the duel would have ended much sooner.
‘He’s really strong.’
Kang Han-byul clenched his fist.
There was no way he could ignore the care he was receiving.
But at the same time, fighting a strong opponent like this filled him with excitement.
He was thrilled.
For the first time since entering the world, he was facing a true powerhouse.
He wanted to mix his swordplay with Do Gyeon-woo’s just a little longer.
He wanted to turn this experience into a stepping stone for his own growth.
Thud!
But he wasn’t planning to lose just yet.
Although Kang Han-byul acknowledged Do Gyeon-woo’s strength, simply being strong wasn’t enough to win in battle.
Fighting was both simple and complex.
At first glance, it might seem like all that mattered was swinging your sword and taking your opponent’s life.
But beneath that, countless tactics and strategies were at play.
To win, one had to succeed in all those tactical skirmishes.
Therefore, Kang Han-byul would not give up until the very end.
It wasn’t over until it was over.
An intense obsession with victory and survival should never be abandoned.
The weak must fight in their own way.
The strong must fight in their own way.
One must always look for an opening.
“The strong do not always win. The one who wins is the truly strong one.”
Seong Jeong-jin’s words rang in Kang Han-byul’s ears.
His master’s teachings had been ingrained in him, and he had never forgotten them.
Kang Han-byul rushed toward Do Gyeon-woo.
Crack!
Do Gyeon-woo’s foot slammed into the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between them closed.
In the remaining gap, a blue lightning bolt flickered.
The lightning roared angrily.
The sound of its strike was like the roar of a lion.
‘Ah…’
The world around him turned blue.
Suddenly, Kang Han-byul remembered a conversation he had with Seong Jeong-jin on Mount Taebaek long ago.
That night, the stars had been especially bright.
“One day, you will see just how vast this world is.”
“How vast is it?”
“Vast enough that, there will be as many people stronger than you as there are stars in the sky.”
“Really? That doesn’t make sense.”
“You’ll understand when you experience it. One day, you’ll meet someone of your age who’s stronger than you, and that’s when you’ll truly understand.”
“Really? Someone my age, stronger than me?”
“Inseok, don’t get cocky just because you’ve broken a stone. Don’t think the world is easy. The world is vast, and that’s what makes it the world.”
With his large, rough hands, Seong Jeong-jin had ruffled Kang Han-byul’s hair.
Now, it seemed like Kang Han-byul understood.
‘Master… the world is vast.’
A sense of liberation washed over him.
For the first time, he felt as though he had truly entered the world.
A smile spread across his face.
“Then what about you, Master? Are there people stronger than you, too?”
“Do you think you and I are the same?”
“…”
“There is no one stronger than me. You should be thankful that you became the disciple of the strongest hunter.”
“Yes, Master.”
Kang Han-byul’s resolve hardened.
He understood now.
It was time to unleash everything he had.
The flow of the battle would change.
Leave a Reply